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Of all the ways for a high school basketball player to celebrate his birthday, having the opportunity to raise your recruiting stock in front of various colleges might not come to mind the way that cake and balloons do.
Totino-Grace (Minn.) forward AJ Taban brought in the newest year of his life while at the P32 Live in St. Louis earlier this month. Taban scored at least 18 points and grabbed at least six rebounds in all four games.
Taban especially shined against The Program C2K, finishing with 18 points and 11 rebounds. But fittingly, Taban’s 29-point explosion came against the St. Louis Stars on his birthday.
“I’m gonna play hard,” Taban said of his mindset. “You’re always gonna see a smile on my face, and I wanna win.”
Winning is something that Taban has experienced plenty of over the last year. The 6-foot-6 forward transferred to Totino-Grace ahead of his junior season and played a pivotal part for an Eagles team that captured its fourth Class AAA state championship in five years.
Much like teammate Malachi Hill, Taban believes that Nick Carroll’s program has only helped him unlock his potential.
“When you step on the floor playing against other teams, you’re just already a step ahead, [and] you already got the edge against those guys,” Taban told Legacy Library.
Taban has publicly announced receiving scholarship offers from three Minnesota-based Division III programs: Gustavus Adolphus College, Saint John’s University, and Hamline University.
“It’s just so surreal right now,” Taban said. “As a kid, I’d always dreamed of getting offers. So it feels amazing to just actually live it out.”
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